When to Foam Roll

Using a foam roller can function as a sports massage that you can easily do at home, it helps reduce inflammation, scar tissue and joint stress, and improves circulation and range of motion. Many people use foam rolling post workout, but this article by Outside magazine featuring Dr. Mike Clark tells us that foam rolling needs to be done BEFORE a workout and shares some valuable insights:

“WHAT TO DO
“If you want to get your body ready for a workout session, foam roll your calves, the outside of your IT band, your piriformis, you adductors, and your mid and upper back,” Clark says. But instead of rolling back and forth constantly, as many athletes do, he says to roll until you find the most tender point in each area, then keep the roller on that spot for 60 seconds. Concentrating on sensitive spots will help relax your muscles, which Clark says is the first step in a proper warm up, followed by stretching any tight muscles, and then performing dynamic exercises like prisoner squats and lunges.

WHY ROLL FIRST
You have two major receptors in your muscles, Clark says. One is your muscle spindle, which makes the muscle contract. The other is called the Golgi tendon organ, which makes the muscle relax. “They both should be in balance with one another, which allows the tissue to work without getting injured,” Clark says.

If you have any muscular imbalances, and all you do to warm up is dynamic or static movements, your body will be continuously compensating for your problem spots, Clark cautions. “Stretching stimulates the muscle spindle and makes it more overactive. Deep pressure stimulates the Golgi tendon organ, which then overrides the muscle spindle, which allows the tissue to relax, which prepares it for stretching,” Clark says. Foam rolling before stretching and exercising is like taking the parking brake off before you start driving your car, he says.”

Interested in getting a foam roller for yourself? Our online shop offers two types of foam rollers to choose from: http://www.shop.workout.lk/